Three Wildcats to run at states for track

Brooke Kovacic, Jared Butler and Mike Tuski show off their running shoes at graduation. Photo submitted. (click for larger version)

May 22, 2013 - While the Oxford boys track team placed 10 and girls team placed ninth out of 16 teams at the MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletic Association) Regionals held at Brandon High School on May 17. Three Wildcat runners will represent Oxford at MHSAA State Finals on June 1.

Seniors Mike Tuski and Brook Kovacic along with Junior Briana Jackson will be running at states. Tuski took third in the 800 meter run with 1:56.53.

"Mike Tuski literally ran the race of his life," said Head Track Coach Matt Johnson. "He gave that race everything he had. He ran the first 400 in 53 seconds and when I got his split, I was just hoping he was even going to make it around the second lap, but he fought it out."

"She was supposed to run both the mile and the two mile, but she's been fighting bronchitis," Johnson said. "She just missed qualifying in the two mile (3200 meter) by a second."

Kovacic ran a time of 11:31 and placed seventh in the 3200 meter.

"We're going to do some work to make her a faster miler," noted Johnson. "She's used to thinking about running multiple events, now she can just focus on the mile."

Jackson took third in the 100 meter dash with a 12.47 run time. "She is a young athlete, lot of potential and raw speed," Johnson added. "We just got to refine some things and she'll be even better."

Tuski and Kovacic were not only running to make it to states, but they were also running along with fellow senior Jared Butler to make it to graduation on time to walk across the stage (in their bright colored track shoes) to receive their diplomas.

"We literally ran from the meet right to graduation. They got there at the C's and jumped in line," Johnson said. "When they came in everybody celebrated like 'yeah, they made it' that was pretty cool."

Johnson said he decided to go to graduation "to be a part of the story."

I wanted to be able to celebrate with them (Tuski, Kovacic and Butler) in both things," he added. "It was an honor to do both things and get it in."

As far as states goes, Johnson said they "got two weeks of hard work."

"We can be even better yet (and) I expect them all to have a better time there than when they ran at regionals," he said. "It should be pretty exciting."

Trevor graduated with degrees in English and communications from Rochester College. He wrote for his college and LA View newspapers before joining The Clarkston News in May 2007.